of bibmingham



(No Model.)

F. MGILVENNA 8v J. G. ROLLASO'N.

TROUSERS STRETGHER.

Patented Mar. 2.1886.

IIIIIIII L UNITED vSTATES l PATENT OEEICE.

FELIX` MOILVENNA, OF MANCHESTER, COUNTY OF LANCASTER, AND JOSEPH GEORGE ROLLASON, OF BIRMINGHAM, COUNTY OF WARWICK, ASSIGNORS TO JOEL CADBURY, OF BIRMINGHAM, AND VILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMP- SON, OF LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND.

TROUSERS-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 337,071, dated March 2, 1886.

Application filed September 23, 1885. Serial No. 177.887. (N model.) Pat-l'nted in England February 12, 1884, No. 3,126, and May 5, 1885, No. 5,498.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, FELIX MCILVENNA and J osEPH GEORGE RoLLAsoN, subjects ofthe Queen of Great Britain, and residents, respectively, of Manchester, in the county of Lancaster, and Birmingham, iu the county of War- Wick, England, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in TrousersStretchers, of which the following is a specification.

The invention herein described has been patented in Great Britain by Letters Patent dated February 12, 1884, No. 3,126, and May 5, 1885, No. 5,498. A

The object of our invention is to so construct 1 5 an article of the class described, that it shall be simple in construction and operation, cheap, and efficient in its action.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a face View of our improved device;l Fig. 2, an edge View of 2o the same; Fig. 3, a detail sectional view, and

Fig. 4 a modification.

A indicates a tubular bar or rod containing a spring, B, at one end, and C indicatesasecond rod, tubular or solid, sliding into the end of rod A and bearing directly against the spring B.

E E are two-flat plates of metal, wood, papier-mache, or other suitable material, about two inches wide, to the ends of which metal 3o caps F F are applied, as shown` in Figs. land 2. These caps F F project at right angles to the plates or bars E E', as shown in Fig. 2, and then project a slight distance with the plates and toward the center of the latter, as shown in Fig. l. This construction, it will be observed, forms pockets or recesses G G, into which the ends of the bars H H rit. The sockets or recesses G G are tapering, as shown, so that as the bars or plates H H are put therein 4o and moved toward the narrow end of the socket they will be crowded toward the board or plate, and thus rmly hold the garment between them.

I I indicate sockets in the plates or bars H H', into which the ends of the tubular rod A C fit, the rod A Cbeing provided with flanges J J near each end, to rest upon the edges of the boards H H, as shown in Fig. 1, and by dotted lines in Fig. 2.

A chain, L, is secured to the upper side of o the upper bar, H, by which to suspend the apparatus when desired.

It is often desirable to place the device, with garment, immediately before a re, to dry the same quickly, and so far as we are aware no one has ever constructed a stretching apparatus of the class described so that it may be hung up or suspended, and also set upon its base, as Ais desired. This we accomplish by the construction shown in Figs. 2 and 3, in which M 6o indicates a threaded lug or projection upon the outer face of plate or bar E', and N a thumbscrew adapted to fit therein.

P indicates a base plate or stand, which is attached to the bar or plate E by means of the thumb-screw N, passing through the base-plate and into the threaded lug M, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The base-plate P is of course recessed upon its under side to allow the thumbnut to be out of the way when the base-plate 7o is used.

It will readily be seen that when it is desired simply to hang the garment up to stretch it the chain L will be employed, the base-plate having been previously removed by unscrewing the nut off the screw N.

The device,constr.ucted as herein described, is exceedingly cheap and simple, and may be carried by travelers without inconvenience.

In order to render the device as compact as 8o possible, the caps F F are recessed, as at K K', to receive the bars or rods in packing.

In some cases a handle, D, may be employed to compress the spring B, though this is not necessary. Y

In Fig. 4 we have shown a modication of the device, the bars E H being connected by links, which, when one of the bars is moved, urge the latter toward the stationary bar and clamp the garment. We deem the arrange- 9c ment shown in Figs. l and 2 preferable.

The center of the flat face of each of the bars E E' is cut out or recessed, as at Q, in order to clamp the garment at each side and stretch same evenly.

In using the device it is only necessary to spread the trousers upon the plates E E',which are separated the required distance. The blocks or bars H H' are then inserted with their ends under the caps F F', and as they are crowded or wedged down into the narrow end of the sockets G G' they clamp the garment firm] y between themselves and the plates E E. The jointed rods A C are then inserted in the blocks H H', and the spring B, pressing upon the end of rod C, serves to spread the two frames E H and E' H' apart, and thus stretch the garment.

The stretcher may be hung up by means of the chain L, or set upon its base P, asis desired.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is l. The herei n-described trousers-stretchers, consisting of the bars E E', vprovided with wedge-shaped sockets G G', bars H H', inserted in said sockets and adapted to clamp the garment, rods A G, inserted in the movable bars H H', and spring B, to urge said rods apart, as shown.

2. In combination with bars E E', provided with wedge-shaped sockets G G', bars H H', inserted in said sockets, and spring-pressed rods A C, inserted in the movable bars H H', and provided with plates J J', to bear upon the latter.

3. In combination with bars E E' and movable bars H H'` rod A C, inserted at its ends in movable bars H H', and stand P, detachably secured to the outer face of the bar E', as and for the purpose set forth.

4., In trousers stretchers, the combination of dat bar E, caps F, applied to the ends thereof and having Wedge-shaped sockets, and bar H, fitting at its ends in said sockets.

5. In combination with frames E H E' H' and rods A C, provided with spring B, socket M upon the outer face of b ar E, screw N, inserted in said socket, and stand P, held in place by screw N, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony Vwhereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FELIX MCILVENNA. JOSEPH GEORGE ROLLASON.

Witn es ses EDWARD LEIonsTER, EDWIN ELvrs. 

